LITR 4332: American Minority
Literature
final
exam 2008 sample answers
essay on
Mexican American literature: (creative
option).
Apply
another course objective
to Mexican American literature and culture
Ariana Gonzalez
La Familia y Tradiciones
I decided to take the “creative option” on this one. From the beginning of the semester I anticipated the Mexican American section. Not that I did not enjoy the others because I learned a great deal, but I was having the opportunity to read about my own culture. Even though I am of Mexican parents there was still a lot I learned. Reading the texts of “The Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe” and Bless Me, Ultima helped me see my own family in a new sense and vice versa.
That is why I am writing this essay over objective 4 regarding individual and collective identities and focusing this essay on 4a. objective 4a states that “minority groups place more emphasis on ‘traditional’ or ‘community’ aspects of human society, such as extended families or alternative families and they mistrust institutions” while the dominant culture “celebrates individuals and nuclear families and identifies more with dominant-cultural institutions”.
I do not think one can label you as something. I believe that the Mexican American identity has lost itself in stereotypes and expectations and there are many families trying to overcome that. For example, many Mexican American students drop out of school before they reach high school. This unfortunately is a sad realization but it is almost “expected”. I have been substituting for three years now and it hurts me to see the Hispanic students not even trying. There was one student last year that I knew had so much potential but would do nothing in class. I asked him one day, why doesn’t he try? And he replied, it doesn’t matter I am going to drop out anyways. I was so taken back but angry at the same time. It is society that has labeled young Mexican Americans as future dropouts. He unfortunately is making the stereotype a reality.
In Bless Me, Ultima, the Marez family takes education as a serious matter (much like my family). Antonio’s mother relies on him to better the family. I loved how Anaya shows Tony educating himself and yet still keeping with traditions. For example when tony is on his way to school and he looks back to wave goodbye, his brother Andrew asks why do you do that and Tony replies its tradition and he is afraid he will not see them again. Mrs. Marez wants Tony to succeed in life and become a priest. She like the dominant culture celebrates law enforcement officers, priests, and teachers. She does not want her sons or daughters to be uneducated and “vaqueros” like their father. This reminds me so much of my family. My father is 46 years old and he was a migrant worker. At the age of 6 my grandfather had him out in the fields with his older siblings. My dad never received the education that he deserved. And yet I am so proud of him and everything he has accomplished. He encourages me and my siblings to do our best and he cannot stress how much we need to have careers.
I do agree though, that minority groups place more emphasis on ‘traditional’ aspects such as our families. For instance in the “Virgin Guadalupe” story we have Juan Diego. He is approached by The Virgin who requests him to do something. In one of the parts he almost denies her because of his sick uncle. That to me is love for your family. He was confused on whether helping his Lady or his family. The aspect of family is much more apparent in Bless Me, Ultima. There is closeness in the family and for extended families like no other. Mrs. Marez loves her family so much. It is apparent during their visits to the farm. Even Ultima who has no relation to the family does everything she can to save one of Tony’s uncles. My favorite part in the story is the recollection of Antonio’s birth; it sounded like they were describing my birth…minus the drunken men and shouting. My point is the whole family was there. Every Tio, Tia, y amigo (uncle, aunt, and friend) where there. And to compare this to a dominant culture, it reminds of a phone companies commercial. The wife just had her baby and to save money on the call the husband left “wehadababyitsaboy” as his name. And then they show the grandparents so nonchalant answering the phone and saying “oh. It was John they had a boy”. When I first saw this commercial I freaked. I could not believe that this was how “white” people announced the birth of a baby.
And because I am running out of time I wanted to talk about one last aspect concerning family. When we discussed this in class many of the students found this to be so outrageous and I did not find anything wrong with it. I am speaking of the part when Eugenio spoke back to his father by saying: “we don’t want to work on the highway!” (71). Students in the class were saying the mother overreacted by saying “watch your language! Do not defy your father!” (72). I thought the complete opposite. When I first read Eugenio’s line I thought you are in for a slap and sure enough his mother yelled at him. Those of the students that did not understand probably will never understand. The only ones that day that agreed with the mother where the Hispanics. I know, I have been there. It is not our culture to speak back. We are taught at a young age to respect those older than you no matter what.
I loved how Anaya portrayed the Marez family. They had their problems like any other family but they were always there to help one another regardless. Generally speaking “minority groups place more emphasis on ‘traditional’ or community aspects of human society, such as extended familes or alternative families” and this is so true. Mexican Americans do place more emphasis on family but our family also encourages us to succeed in life. I believe I am a great example of that. I am graduating next week and without the support that my WHOLE family gives I could never have made it.
Julie Mash
Creative/Option 1: Mexican Americans' Individual and Collective Identities
I work as a Human Resources Administrator for a construction company and I have always wondered why I have employees that quit their job because a family member is sick or a family member is moving. It was not until this course that I understand the importance that minority cultures place on the family. They do not trust institutions; they only trust their extended or alternative families.
In Bless Me, Ultima Tony’s parents decide to have Ultima come live with them. Tony’s mother reflects back on the helpfulness that Ultima was when giving birth to her children and wants to give back to Ultima the care that only family members can give one another. The custom was to provide for the old and the sick.
I also get a feel for how important family is when Tony has a dream of his birth and all his aunts and uncles are present. They are all dictating what Tony will grow up to be. Will he bless the family by becoming a priest or will he follow the ways of his father side and become a conquistador?
In “The Virgin of Guadalupe” Juan Diego must go give proof of the Virgin to the bishop so that he will be believed. But before he can do so his uncle become very ill and is on his deathbed. The uncle asks Juan to go get a priest so that he may confess before he dies. Juan puts off going to see the bishop so that he can fulfill his uncle’s dying wishes. This is just another instance that we see in the writings of Mexican American culture that shows us the importance placed on families.
Studying objective 4a has answered many questions that I had in regards to the customs of Mexican American and their closeness with their family members. They must rely on each other but the way that institutions have treated minority cultures in the past.